Dead Days

Chapter 22

My ears ring as the remnants of the scream leaves my head. I try to stand but fall to my knees again.

"Jack..." Cassie helps me up, "what's going on?"

"Nothing, just got lightheaded."

"Don't feed me that bullshit, Jack, something is wrong now tell me so I can help somehow."

"I don't think you can help Cass."

"What do you mean?" She asks, concern and confusion in her voice.

"Ever since the warehouse I've been seeing things." I say, now fully regaining my balance.

"What? Like ghosts?" She asks with a raised eyebrow.

"No, like visions. It's like someone is putting what they've either seen or is seeing into my head."

"Is that what just happened?"

"Yes." I say, pausing, fighting to get the next words out of throat. "Alyx is dead."

She stops in her tracks, "what?" Her voice wavering.

"I heard her die." I say, trying to keep the tears in.

"Heard? So you didn't see anything?" She asks.

"No, but I know the scream that's ripped from someone who's being killed. I know it too well, to be honest."

"She could still be alive, Jack."

Cass... I don't think it's possible."

"Don't say that!" She yells, tears flooding her vision. "There's a chance and you know it!"

I want to believe that Cassie is right, but I'm a killer, I know what it's like to kill. What feels, looks, and sounds like. Alyx was gone. Just like Lauren.

"Let's just keep walking, Cass. I don't feel like talking about it right now."

She silently cries for a while. I try my best not to look at her, because I know if I do, I'd start crying too. Just when I thought I'd found love again. The voice had said.

I'm going to kill all of you. I think, or was that the warrior? I honestly don't know, he's been in control for so long that I feel like I should just leave him in control.

***

     We cross the state line and take a few steps into North Carolina before coming across an old beat up blue Ford F-150.

     "Jesus Christ, finally!" Cassie exclaims.

     I open the drivers side door and find that the keys are still in the ignition. I try cranking the engine, but it doesn't turn over.

     I try three more times but it won't crank. "Dammit." I hit the steering wheel with the palm of my hand.

     "The battery is dead, isn't it?" Cassie asks.

    "Yeah, but it's a manual truck, so we can push start it. I just didn't want to." I say, looking at her with a toothy smile.

    She sighs and nods her head. I tell her to get in the drivers seat and put the truck in neutral.

     I walk to the back of the truck and begin pushing. The truck is heavy, but it's on a slope which makes it so much easier.

    I push it until I get to jogging speed, "Crank it and throw it in first!" I yell to Cassie.

     The engine turns over and roars to life, angry that it had to start. She drives the truck a few feet to warm the engine up before stopping to let me catch up.

"Good job," I say, climbing into the drivers seat.

"I know right, I'm amazing." She says with a sly smile.

"Don't push your luck," I say, and then the truck ride is silent for a while. I'm left to my thoughts.

I don't know how to tell Cassie what I think about her father or about the vision I'd had where he was helping the Russian.

Maybe it was all a ploy to stay alive, or maybe even keep Cassie alive. I had no idea and I didn't want to find out, but I had too. I can't just sit back and let them win, it's not in my nature.

Dusk begins to fall and the clouds turn into a cotton candy color on the horizon.

     "I haven't seen any undead in a long time, I'm really starting to worry." Cassie says, shattering the silence of the ride.

     "I know. I've noticed it too, its weird, but what isn't in this new and fucked up world."

    "Jack, I'm serious. This doesn't seem right. I mean, think of all the zombie movies or shows you've ever seen. There's is always zombies everywhere, even if it's just one aimlessly wandering."

     She was right, and now the worry was beginning to sink in. Where could they all be?

"You're right. Keep a watchful eye, something definitely isn't right," I tell her. She nods and falls back into silence.

***

Night has fully fallen by the time we have to pull into a gas station to fill the truck up.

I think back to the night that Cassie and first met, the day we had to fill up my BMW. It feels like its been years since that day. Those memories bring along thoughts of chief that night, how he sat there eating raw hamburger meat.

It makes me think, what happens to the conscious part of the person when they come back? Are they still in there, witnessing what their hands and teeth are doing to others? Or is it the virus controlling the body?

I push the thoughts from my head and finish filling up the truck. When I climb back in Cassie has fallen asleep and is snoring.

I didn't turn the truck off, I know, I know, it's bad to do that. You're risking an explosion or whatever. But I didn't have time to be pushing this heavy ass thing again.

     The sun is rising by the time I cross the South Carolina state line.

     Welcome, old friend, Says the Russian, to your grave.

     You've told me I was going to die a lot, that's beginning to lose its effect. I think back, not expecting a reply, but I got one.

    This time you will die, you won't have the heart to kill her. He says, and then he's gone.

     Kill her? Who's he talking about? The only person I can think of is Cassie, she's the only her left in my life, and she would never do anything like that in the first place.

     I will kill you, even if I have to die doing it. I think, hoping the Russian hears it.

    This is the beginning of the end.